Shirley Gillis (CT '89)

Retired

At the time of the Award, Shirley Gillis was:

Teacher
Harbor Elementary School
New London, CT

Biographical Information

Shirley Gillis teaches kindergarten at Harbor School in New London. An advocate of early intervention, she has worked to provide her inner-city students with the reliable, nurturing support that some may not receive in their homes. Acutely aware of the obstacles facing minorities, Ms. Gillis believes that "education, community programs with parent involvement, school and home liaisons, and the development of good drug education would eliminate many of the problems with young minority adults today." To this end she has instituted a home/school program to establish a strong bond between the two, and an extended-day kindergarten program which focuses on language development and discovery.